


Nibbles

by LilyAnson



Series: Crowley's Accidental Adoptions [2]
Category: Good Omens (TV)
Genre: Gen, Healing, Helpful Aziraphale, Snakes, Worried Crowley (Good Omens)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-06
Updated: 2019-07-06
Packaged: 2020-06-23 12:50:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,953
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19701712
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LilyAnson/pseuds/LilyAnson
Summary: Snakes were were both territorial and loners for the most part.  They didn't appreciate when other snakes 'invaded' there space and they definitely didn't make friends with other snakes.  So what happens when two snakes happen across each other and one snake can't run and the other won't?





	Nibbles

The pain was immense. The little snake ignored it and continued crawling. The hard, black, human-made stuff hurt but he could live with that. All he had to do was get to the other side and all would be fine. That was when its definition of pain changed. Something, and it wasn’t quite sure what, happened and true pain radiated from it’s tail upward.

-

Halfway to Azzy’s bookshop (and wouldn’t the angel just hate the nickname, the demon thought to itself) Crowley noticed something. There was a small grouping of people gathered in the road poking at something. Something inside of him bristled and he didn’t know why. He was about to ignore everything when he froze. He knew that feeling. It was the same feeling he got whenever there was another snake too close for his comfort. Snakes never did get along well with other snakes, not really. 

Still, the feeling remained that this particular snake posed no threat. So why was it drawing his attention, he wondered. Stupid, he thought to himself. He was the original snake. No other snake ever posed a threat, not to him. He ought to pass by, just leave it, he told himself. Still… Something stopped him and he honestly couldn’t explain it. Oh hell, he thought. It didn’t hurt to look, did it? Well sometimes it could but it didn’t feel like it would this time. So maybe… just this once… 

And so it was that he found himself crossing the road to find out just what happened.

-

The snake cringed against all the faces staring at him. It wanted nothing more than to slither away and get lost in the nice cool grass. It hissed at the faces trying to at the very least scare a few of them them away. Nothing helped. It was then it felt a sharp poke somewhere in its midsection. 

-

Crowley approached the crowd just in time to see some kid with a stick poke the small grass snake in its midsection. The snake raised its head and hissed loudly. Yesss, Crowley thought somewhere in the back of his mind. Something else snapped though. Before he could stop himself he’d crossed the road and grabbed the kid by the back of its neck. 

“Leave it alone,” Crowley hissed loudly. “It has more excuse to exist than the likes of you.” Finally he released the kid and glared at him. The kid, for his part, fled. Good, Crowley thought to himself. Little brat. Then he turned his attention back to the snake.

-

The snake, for its part didn’t understand any of this. What it did understand was that some being poked it and another had taken the other being’s place. It looked at the other and began to hiss when it realized it was faced with another snake. A much larger snake. An oddly human shaped snake. Still, injured as it was, there was no way it could flee. At least, not fast enough to attain safety. It did the next best thing it could think of. It hissed in defiance.

-

Crowley actually smiled. Of course the little snake had hissed at him. He would have been surprised if it hadn’t. Good little bugger, Crowley thought. Suddenly he froze. Was he actually smiling at another snake he wondered? Nope, he thought, not happening. He was not about to… Suddenly he froze mid thought. The little snake had lowered its head and was trying to slither away. It started well but by the time the wriggle progressed to its tail the little snake shook and curled in on itself.

Crowley took a good look at the little snake’s tail and fought not to wince. The last bit of the snake’s tail looked horribly bad. Judging by the look of the tail and the placement of the snake it had probably been run over by a car. Crowley almost winced a second time purely out of sympathy for the little thing. Oh for fuck’s sake, he thought. He really should just turn around and… and… well, it wasn’t like he was doing anything specific before. Damn it. Careful not to touch the injured tail Crowley reached down to pick up the little snake.

-

The snake froze in shock as it was lifted. It wasn’t used to the ground being so far away and at first the snake was a bit nervous. It’s second thought was that it really did not like being handled, not by anyone. Eventually it found itself eye to eye with the larger, oddly human shaped, snake. Nervous as it was, it was still a snake. If it was to die then so be it. It wouldn’t go down without a fight. Rearing back it struck as quickly as possible. It’s fangs sank into the flesh of the other snake.

-

“Fuck!” Crowley exclaimed as the snake bit him. 

Not that it did much damage. It was more the shock of it that had him cursing. Still, he did have to smile at the audacity of the little thing. Tiny little snake that it was, with no chance of winning in a true confrontation, it still fought. Yes, Crowley found himself feeling oddly particularly fond of the little bugger. He glanced back down at it’s tail. Not really being one for healing he did the only thing he could think of. He decided to take the little snake to Aziraphale’s shop.

Walking to the passenger side of the Bentley he opened the door and carefully placed the little snake on the passenger seat. He shut the door carefully so as not to alarm the other before making his way round to the driver’s side. Opening the door, he got in and closed it more carefully than he normally would have on any other occasion. Being in a unique position to understand how uncomfortable the cool leather of the seat would feel to the other he used a small touch of his powers to warm the seat. The little snake seemed to relax slightly. 

-

“Ouch,” Aziraphale murmured as the little snake bit down on the inside of his finger.

“Yeah it does that,” Crowley told him. “Cheeky little bastard,” Crowley murmured.

Unless he was imagining it Crowley actually sounded a bit proud. Aziraphale glanced back down to the snake. The snake for it’s part, looked back insolent and defiant. Yes, he could completely understand how Crowley would be fond of such a creature.

“What do you call it?” Aziraphale asked.

Crowley paused at that. “It’s a snake angel,” he said, frowning slightly. “I found it injured and lying in the middle of the road. Why would I have named it?”

“Well I can’t just call it snake,” Aziraphale told him. As he watched, the snake opened its mouth, bared its fangs, and hissed once more. He thought back to when the snake had bit him and smiled. “I know, we shall call him Nibbles.”

“We?” Crowley asked suspiciously.

“Well dear,” Aziraphale continued, purposely ignoring Crowley’s question, “shall we get started?”

.

When he’d begun to heal the little snake Crowley had attempted to help by trying to offer advice. Aziraphale had to remind Crowley he already knew how to heal quite well, thank you very much. After some time Aziraphale had to suggest that perhaps Crowley would feel better if he had a glass of wine while he waited. Muttering under his breath Crowley had stalked off. By the time he’d managed to heal the little snake Crowley was pacing the floor, wine glass in hand, still grumbling to himself. Aziraphale caught a few snippets the demon’s mutterings. 

A smile spread over his face as he caught phrases such as, ‘stupid drivers’, and ‘we snakesss were here before their blasssted cars were’. There was also something about ‘kids with sticks’ that Aziraphale didn’t _quite_ understand but he thought he could guess. In spite of Crowley’s repeated insistence that snakes absolutely did not get along with other snakes it seemed as if he’d actually become fond of the tiny little grass snake he’d brought for Aziraphale to heal. It was then a truly brilliant idea, or so he thought, occurred to him. Finally Crowley turned around and notice Aziraphale staring.

“Well?” Crowley demanded. 

Aziraphale knew his demon well enough to know nothing he said would be enough to set the demon at ease. Instead of replying he held out a hand, palm upwards, indicating the now healed snake lying comfortably on the counter under a hastily conjured heat lamp. Crowley strode forward and carefully inspected the snake. Aziraphale smiled as he watched the little snake lazily endure the inspection without so much as a hiss. Oh yes, he decided, his plan was definitely going to work. 

.

Crowley, feeling both relieved and yet also a bit angry at himself, headed for the Bentley, got in, and slammed the door shut perhaps a bit harder than was needed. For a while he couldn’t do much more than merely sit there. There were just too many emotions warring inside of him; too much to sift through. He berated himself for ignoring his instincts. That kind of thing could get you killed. And yet… There was some part of him that wanted to go back inside and get the little snake. 

He barely resisted the urge to slam his palm against the steering wheel. That would do no good and would only damage his precious Bentley. In the end shoved the emotions away and sighed heavily. Starting the car he drove back to his flat at only just slightly faster than the speed limit. After everything he was too distracted to do much more. Auto pilot was about the best he had at the moment. All he really wanted to do right now was get into his flat, crawl into bed, and sleep for about a week.

When he finally made it into his flat he leaned back against the door and allowed his eyes to drift closed. It was absurd that he should be this tired after so little activity. After all, all he had done was driven to Aziraphale’s shop, drink wine, and pace. Aziraphale was the one that had actually done all the hard work. After several seconds he opened his eyes and shoved himself off of the door. When he looked around the living room and noted the plants he sighed again. They would need watering. He would worry about ‘encouraging’ them later when he was more rested. 

Snagging the mister he set about taking care of his plants. All of the plants actually seemed to be doing pretty well. Okay, so maybe there wouldn’t be too much 'encouragement' needed later. He was halfway through the misting, standing in front of the large window, when he thought he saw something. As he was used to his plants shaking in fear his first instinct was to ignore the slight movement. Before he had the chance to spray the plant again the head of a small grass snake lifted out of the thick foliage of the plant and stared at him looking slightly annoyed. Crowley blinked at it in stunned surprise for several seconds. Suddenly he smiled and shook his head.

“Bloody angel,” Crowley huffed good naturedly. “I suppose it _was_ Aziraphale that miracled you here?” he asked the smaller snake. “At least the angel had the good sense to miracle you into one of the plants near the window.” Crowley eyed the snake thoughtfully for several moments. “Nibbles, is it?” he asked needlessly. As if he would ever forget something his angel told him. “Well,” he drawled, “if you’re going to stay here we’re going to have to set up some basic house rules.”


End file.
